Bill Skarsgård in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
Arriving on HBO Max on October 22 with its first episode is ‘IT: Welcome to Derry,’ which turns the clock back to 1962 so as to explore more of the dark history of the titular town and the equally titular presence, who feeds on fear and terrorizes the locals.
(L to R): Mikkal Karim-Fidler, Clara Stack and Jack Molloy Legault in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
While prequels have been around for years, it feels like we’ve been besieged by them in recent years, especially as studios and TV networks seek to find new ways to explore established franchises.
It’s a tough tightrope to walk –– audiences can tire of learning too much about certain characters (‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ is an example), while lazy storytelling can creep in. But refreshingly, ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ is a worthwhile addition to the canon of a story that began with Stephen King’s 1986 novel and has been most famously adapted into two big screen outings.
Script and Direction
Chris Chalk in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
‘Welcome to Derry’, thanks to the presence of some of the filmmaking team, faithfully connects to the movies without too many overt references. The show’s plotline and characters are smartly drawn, offering layered approaches to a variety of stories, not the least of which is Taylour Paige and Jovan Adepo as Charlotte and Leroy Hanlon, the latter of whom links the townsfolk with the nearby army base and the military’s attempts to learn more about its dark secret.
Andy Muschietti, who directed both the more recent movies, gives the show its own signature blend of everyday life and gory, bone-chilling scares.
Cast and Performances
Taylour Paige in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
It’s kudos to both the creators and the rest of the cast that the series doesn’t lean on Skarsgård’s creep-tastic Pennywise to generate its scares, at least not in his actual clown form. Paige and Adepo are both great, but the real winners are among the younger cast (including Amanda Christine and Clara Stack, who offer naturalistic work in the face of some truly terrifying set pieces.
Final Thoughts
Blake Cameron James in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
‘Welcome to Derry’ proves to be that rare prequel that works to enhance what has gone before, and finds interesting angles to peek into beyond even Stephen King’s source work.
Kicking off just before Halloween, it’s ideal creepy viewing for a fall evening.
‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ receives 82 out of 100.
Kimberly Guerrero in ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’. Photo: Brooke Palmer/HBO.
What’s the plot of ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’?
The show is set in 1962, 27 years before the events of ‘IT: Chapter One’ (which updated the book’s 1957 setting to 1988). The show dives into the lore of Pennywise and the town’s horrific history, drawing heavily from the “interludes” in King’s original novel — the eerie flashbacks and historical tragedies Mike Hanlon researched as an adult.
Bill Skarsgård in 2017’s ‘It’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
Preview:
Bill Skarsgård is slapping on his Pennywise make-up again.
He’ll appear in the ‘It’ prequel series on Max.
Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo and Chris Chalk are among the cast.
Given the success of the two ‘It’ movie adaptations, it was somehow inevitable that the story would continue somehow. And indeed, a TV prequel –– with the working title of ‘Welcome to Derry’, after the town in the movies and Stephen King’s book –– was announced as in the works last year.
And now a key element of the movie is returning, as Bill Skarsgård is ready to head to clown town again, reprising his role as demonic entity Pennywise.
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What’s the story of the ‘It’ prequel?
Bill Skarsgård in 2017’s ‘It’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
‘Welcome to Derry’, or whatever it ends up being titled, is also based on King’s ‘It’ book, with the movies’ director Andy Muschietti working with producer/sister Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs (who revised the ‘It: Chapter Two’ script and was a co-producer on that movie) to devise a new story that takes place before the events of the movies. Brad Kane and Fuchs are running the show, and the cameras have been rolling since April.
Andy Muschietti is directing four episodes of a planned nine-episode season.
How Pennywise fits into the story remains to be seen, but we predict he’ll be up to his old tricks terrifying (and killing) people.
Who is in the ‘It’ prequel series?
Jovan Adepo plays Sidney Palmer in ‘Babylon’ from Paramount Pictures.
The cast for the series already includes Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, and James Remar. And while Skarsgård previously indicated he wasn’t sure if he’d be involved with the series, it sounds like he was just waiting for a deal to be locked in.
What has Skarsgård been saying about his prior Pennywise experience?
Bill Skarsgård stars in ‘John Wick: Chapter 4.’
The actor has been talking recently about an uncomfortable early experience with the role of Pennywise, revealing that he wasn’t sure about Warner Bros.’ idea to showcase his look as the character a year before the first movie itself arrived.
“When you are 26, you don’t feel young at all, but now, looking back at it, I was a kid. [The studio] did a thing that I felt was kind of mean. It was fairly early on in my career to take on something that had so many eyeballs and expectations on it. I was so incredibly nervous to start this job, and then the Internet is having so many hateful opinions on the weird, strange look of the thing.”
While HBO/Max haven’t confirmed an exact launch date for the series, it should be on TV in 2025 (surely nearer Halloween since that feels like the right time for an ‘It’ project).
Bill Skarsgård in 2017’s ‘It’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
Speeding straight into your TVs, DC’s latest Superhero movie ‘The Flash’ is expected to be available on PVOD on July 18th.
The film is set after the events ‘Justice League,’ where Barry Allen decides to travel back in time to save his mother – a storyline adapted from the ‘Flashpoint’ comic. Filled with action, cameos, easter eggs, and more.
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The official synopsis for ‘The Flash’ is below:
“Worlds collide in “The Flash” when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian… albeit not the one he’s looking for. Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?”
‘The Flash’ opened in theaters on June 16, 2023. Initially, the movie was slated to release in July of 2022, but due to the shifting of schedules at Warner Bros., the movie was moved to its 2023 release date. ‘The Flash’ opened to $55 million domestically and so far has grossed $102.9 since its release. Worldwide, the movie has earned $249.1 million.
Longtime comic book fans knew we would be getting the Flashpoint story in ‘The Flash’, which director Andy Muschietti does a great job of adapting. When it comes to the speedster, time travel and meeting one’s younger self is imminent. Ezra Miller plays two Barry Allens in the movie, one that we have met already through previous DC films like ‘Batman v. Superman’ and ‘Justice League.’ The other Barry is younger and has not become The Flash in their timeline, which makes a lot of the scenes and conversation interesting and funny.
The juxtaposition of the two Barrys really makes their interaction fun to watch, especially in scenes with Micheal Keaton’s Batman and Sasha Calle’s Supergirl. On top of the humorous scenes, the movie serves up many emotional moments as well when it comes to Barry and their mom.
DC has always dealt with the multiverse in shows like CW’s ‘The Flash’ and ‘Crisis on Infinite Earth,’ but in Muschietti’s film, we’re seeing the multiverse on a grander scale. We won’t spoil too much just in case you haven’t had the chance to see the movie, but multiverse and dimensional travel means jaw-dropping cameos aplenty.
For example, seeing Michael Keaton putting the cape on once again as Batman, with iconic one-liners like, “I’m Batman,” and “You wanna get nuts? Let’s get nuts.” makes an extremely satisfying moment for the fans. Ben Affleck also appears as his version of the Batman.
Michael Keaton attends a double bill screening of Tim Burton’s ‘Batman’ followed by ‘The Flash,’ in London, England. Photo by Lia Toby/Getty Images for Warner Bros Discovery.
While the film was initially screened at CinemaCon, it was an unfinished version and ‘The Flash’ officially premiered on June 12th, 2023, at the Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood. Since the movie has only been out for 4 weeks, it is still playing in theaters, so be sure to check with Moviefone below for showtimes in your area. ‘The Flash’ has a total runtime of 2 hours and 24 minutes.
Watch the official trailers for ‘The Flash’ below:
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Can’t make it out to the theater? You will soon have the option to rent or purchase the movie on VOD. Services such as Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play will have the movie available digitally for $24.99 on July 18th, 2023. There has been no official word yet on when ‘The Flash’ will stream on Max.
For those who prefer physical copies, ‘The Flash’ should become available on DVD/Blu-Ray by September in formats such as 4K Ultra HD, Blu-Ray, and DVD. Collectors can look forward to an exclusive steelbook edition from Best Buy and an Icon Edition digi-pack set from Walmart. Both are available for pre-order now.
It’s a Batman story that revolves around a character from the comics that has appeared in other mediums but would be making is live-action movie debut here.
Gunn said this about the movie,
“This is a story of Damian Wayne, who is Batman’s actual son, who we didn’t know existed for the first eight to 10 years of his life. He was raised as a little murderer and assassin. He’s a little son of a bitch. He’s my favorite Robin, based on the Grant Morrison comic books run, which is one of my favorite Batman runs, and we are putting that all together right now.”
There are no other details out about the movie for now –– no word on who might be writing it, and that’s something likely to wait regardless given the current writers’ strike. It’ll also represent a casting challenge as, yet another actor will be filling the cowl as Batman, with the movie planning to introduce more of the so-called “Bat family” of characters around Bruce Wayne/the Caped Crusader.
‘The Flash’ director Andy Muschietti at CinemaCon 2023. Photos by Eric Charbonneau.
Muschietti, of course, is no stranger to Batman –– there are two (that we know of at this point) in ‘The Flash’, as trailers have already heavily shown both Ben Affleck’s take on the character and, even more prominently, Michael Keaton’s. The latter reprises his iconic version first seen in the 1989 game changer ‘Batman’ and 1992’s ‘Batman Returns’, both directed by Tim Burton.
And from the sounds of it, ‘The Flash’ has been figured out so as to create some sort of link between the current DCEU as kicked off by Zach Snyder and Gunn’s future plans for the DC Studios Universe. Which sounds like quite the feat to pull off for one movie.
Assuming it comes through, this would mark the third director to board a DC Studios project. Gunn has already announced that he’s directing ‘Superman: Legacy’, which will be a fresh take on the Superman story, while James Mangold is attached to make a ‘Swamp Thing’ film.
‘The Flash’ will be in theaters on 16th June. ‘The Brave and the Bold’ does not yet have a set date.
In ‘The Flash,’ Barry Allen/The Flash (Ezra Miller) travels back in time to prevent his mother’s death, which traps him in an alternate reality without metahumans. Barry enlists the help of his younger self (also Miller), an older Batman (Michael Keaton) and the Kryptonian castaway Supergirl (Sasha Calle) in order to save this world from the restored General Zod (Michael Shannon) and return to his universe.
Believe the hype! ‘The Flash’ is one of the best comic book adapted films ever made. Director Andy Muschietti reinvents the DC universe by brilliantly adapting the ‘Flashpoint‘ storyline from the comics, and fusing it with Michael Keaton’s ‘Batman’ and other nods to DC’s cinematic past. The movie is an exciting, action-packed, and humorous celebration of the DC Comics characters, with a brilliant dual performance from Ezra Miller, and of course, Keaton’s triumphant return.
‘The Flash’ director Andy Muschietti at a Canada-Fan Screening event. Photos by Sam Santos.
Story and Direction
For those not familiar, ‘Flashpoint’ was a 2011 DC Comics storyline that involved the Flash going back in time to save his mother’s life. When he returns, his world is not the same, he no longer has his powers, Thomas Wayne is Batman instead of Bruce, a weakened Superman is secretly being kept prisoner by the government, and Atlantis and Themyscira are at war. ‘The Flash’ follows a similar storyline with Barry losing his powers and needing to regain them, but instead of Thomas Wayne being Batman, its Michael Keaton from Tim Burton’s ‘Batman.’ It’s also a weakened Supergirl they break-out of captivity instead of Superman, and Earth is in danger from an attack by General Zod and the Kryptonians not a war between Atlantis and the Amazons.
None of these changes affect the power of the story, and the lesson Barry learns about excepting your past and living in the present. But they do allow general audiences to understand the story a little easier, as they are likely more familiar with Michael Keaton’s Batman than the sudden appearance of Thomas Wayne. In the comics, the ‘Flashpoint’ storyline was used to usher in a new continuity, and in that sense, ‘The Flash’ comes at the perfect time for DC Studios, as the film officially marks the end of the DCEU and the beginning of the new DCU. The movie honors the DCEU, as well as other cinematic DC projects from the past, while setting up an exciting future for these characters.
Director Andy Muschietti clearly loves these characters and retells the ‘Flashpoint’ story well, streamlining it into a tight, fast-paced, and dramatic movie. He also injects the film with a good amount of humor, but it never feels cheesy or forced and aligns with the characters. The filmmaker also handles the time-traveling aspects of the movie very well and in a coherent way, something Marvel struggled to do in ‘Avengers: Endgame.’ Muschietti does a great job with the effects, especially Barry’s powers and the Speed Force. Super-speed has never looked like this before, and Muschietti and his VFX team take a completely new approach to it, which is much different than the slow-motion effects Zack Snyder used.
A lot has been written about Ezra Miller over the last few years concerning their brushes with the law and whether this movie should be released at all given their illegal activities. I’m not going to get into any of that, and just judge them on their performance in this film, which was nothing short of extraordinary. Miller plays two roles, the Barry Allen we all know and have seen mature through appearances in ‘Batman v. Superman’ and ‘Justice League.’ But Miller also plays a younger Barry Allen, who has not yet become the Flash and lives in this new alternate reality. Most of Miller’s scenes are with themself, and you truly believe they are two different people.
Our Barry is a bit older and wiser, and not as impulsive as when we first met them, but the new Barry is young and immature, and it’s fun watching the two of them interact. As both characters, Miller has great chemistry with Keaton and Sasha Calle, as well as a few strong scenes with Kiersey Clemons’ Iris West. In some ways, Miller plays a third role in the movie as well, but to say too much would be a spoiler, so I’ll just say that they are equally impressive and believable in that role too. Whether Miller will ever return to play Barry Allen again is yet to be seen, but if they do not return, it certainly won’t be because their performance in this film was lacking.
I was just a kid when ‘Batman’ was released, so for me … Michael Keaton will always be Batman, and his return in this movie is a very welcomed one. While I really liked Ben Affleck’s Batman, and the actor does a great job in this movie in his limited role, the film really kicks into high gear when Keaton is on screen. He reprises his particular version of Bruce Wayne and Batman effortlessly, and while he has some funny moments, brings a lot of emotion and heart to the role. Keaton is also great in the action scenes, including an early fight scene between him and Miller. Muschietti perfectly matches Wayne Maynor, the Batmobile, the Batwing, and the costumes to the look and aesthetic Tim Burton originally created.
Sasha Calle breathes fresh air into the role of Supergirl, which is a much different and darker depiction than we’ve seen before. The actress is strong and believable in the part, and also plays the role in a mysterious way as to never really know her true intentions and keep the audience guessing. Calle has a few fun scenes opposite Miller and Keaton, but most of her work is in the action sequences and that’s where she really excels in the role. It’s also fun to see Michael Shannon return as General Zod, and he’s just as menacing now as he was in ‘Man of Steel,’ but other than the big fight sequence, he doesn’t have a whole lot to do. The Kryptonians are a real threat to our heroes, and that certainly adds to the drama and suspense.
DC fans have seen the multiverse approached on both the Arrowverse’s ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ crossover event, and more recently on ‘Titans,’ but visually, Muschietti depicts it in a way that is much more cinematic than we’ve seen on TV. The multiverse also makes sense in this movie and you can actually follow along with what’s happening, which wasn’t always the case with Marvel’s ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.’ Because of the multiverse angle, Muschietti was able to sprinkle in a lot of cameos, most of which I won’t discuss here. I’ll just say that archival DC footage was used well, and those cameos are nice nods to what has come before.
There are a few cameos that I will mention since it is already public knowledge they are in the film. As previously mentioned, Ben Affleck returns as Batman, and as seen in the recent trailer, Jeremy Irons is also back as Alfred. Affleck recently let it slip on a podcast that a certain cast member from ‘Justice League’ would be returning for the film as well. I won’t say who incase you don’t know yet, but it is awesome seeing them interact with Affleck and Miller as members of the Justice League early in the film.
The other cameo I will mention, and only because director Andy Muschietti spoiled it a few weeks ago, is that an actor long rumored to play Superman finally gets the opportunity with a cameo in ‘The Flash’ as an alternate universe version of the Man of Steel. Beyond it being something fans have literally wanted to see for decades, the actor in question is magnificent in his brief role, and fans familiar with the canceled Superman project, will truly get a laugh from watching the scene.
There is actually one other major cameo that I will absolutely not spoil, but I will just say that it is a true shocker of an ending, and something people will be talking about all summer long. It also sets the stage for the new DCU, and completely changes the status quo. Whether that actor or actress will continue to play that specific DC character moving forward, is still anybody’s guess. While the film has a very satisfying conclusion, much like the ‘Flashpoint’ comic, it definitely cleans the slate and sets the stage perfectly for James Gunn’s new DCU, whether that was Muschietti original intent or not.
Are There Any End-Credit Scenes in ‘The Flash’?
Yes. There is a mid-credit scene, which takes a look at an earlier scene in the movie from a different point of view, and is mostly played for laughs. But there is also an end-credit scene and I will just say that it helps to explain how the upcoming ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ takes place in the new DCU.
The really pulled it off! ‘The Flash’ is the most entertaining and satisfying DC movie in decades. Andy Muschietti masterfully adapts the source material and fills it with as many Easter eggs, callbacks and cameos as any fan could desire. While still delivering a coherent, fun, action-packed and emotional movie, that features a mesmerizing dual performance from Miller, and the return of the one and only Michael Keaton as Batman. This is one movie DC Comics fans will not want to miss!
Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Double Dream/a Disco Factory production of an Andy Muschietti film, ‘The Flash.’ It will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures and is set to open in theaters in North America on June 16, 2023 and internationally beginning 14 June 2023.
‘The Flash’ director Andy Muschietti at CinemaCon 2023. Photos by Eric Charbonneau.
Before you read any more of this story, we would caution you to wait until you’ve seen ‘The Flash’, the stand-alone movie for Ezra Miller’s speedy DC hero, which will run into theaters on June 16th. A major cameo will be discussed below, and we’d hate for anyone to be spoiled.
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SPOILER ALERT!
Still with us? Okay… While ‘The Flash’ is already bursting with DC characters including Michael Keaton reprising his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman from Tim Burton‘s ‘Batman‘ and ‘Batman Returns,’ Ben Affleck as the Snyderverse version of the same character, Michael Shannon as a multiverse variant of ‘Man of Steel’s General Zod (alongside Antje Traue’s return as his faithful lieutenant, Faora-UI) and Sasha Calle as a new version of Supergirl, the movie promises several more, and possibly the biggest has been confirmed by director Andy Muschietti.
“Nic was absolutely wonderful. Although the role was a cameo, he dove into it. I dreamt all my life to work with him. I hope I can work with him again soon. He is a massive Superman fan. A comic book fanatic.”
Nicolas Cage as Superman in the documentary ‘The Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened?’
Was Nic Cage going to play Superman in the past?
Yes, Cage is finally realizing a long-held dream to play the last son of Krypton in a movie. While this is only a cameo, he got close to playing the character in a cancelled movie called ‘Superman Lives’.
Originally written by Kevin Smith (among others), the movie was planned for Renny Harlin to direct and for Cage to star as what he has described as an “emo” Superman will long black hair and a darker suit.
Cage, though –– who is such a fan of the character that he named one of his kids Kal-El after Supes’ Kryptonian moniker and once owned a copy of ‘Action Comics #1’, which features the first ever appearance of the superhero –– thought that Tim Burton, who had brought such style to his ‘Batman’ films, might be a better fit.
Nicolas Cage as Superman in the documentary ‘The Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened?’
Yet Cage did end up playing Superman once, albeit in animated form in 2018 ‘toon movie ‘Teen Titans GO! To the Movies’. Now, though, he has his dream come true at last.
There are more secrets to be found lurking within the ‘Flash’ movie, but you’ll have to wait and see them for yourself.
The final trailer for ‘The Flash’ is also available, and you can see it below.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Double Dream/a Disco Factory production of an Andy Muschietti film, ‘The Flash.’ It will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures and is set to open in theaters in North America on June 16, 2023 and internationally beginning 14 June 2023.
We can fairly assume then, that the executives (both those before and those after the big Discovery merger that has brought so much of a shake-up to DC Films) were likely hoping that ‘The Flash’, which sees Ezra Miller reprising their role as the Scarlet Speedster Barry Allen, would be a cornerstone in proving that everything is – pun entirely intended – running smoothly.
Alas, that is definitely not the case. Despite a safe pair of hands at the helm (‘It’ director Andy Muschietti) and some grand plans for multiverse action and fan-pleasing appearances (including dual Batmen in Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck), ‘The Flash’ is in real danger of running off the road entirely.
A lot of that has to do with Miller’s near-constant appearance in the news for all the wrong reasons, including the most recent incident, where they were charged with felony burglary in Vermont and the authorities seeking to locate a mother and three children who have allegedly been residing at the actor’s farm.
In the wake of ‘Batgirl’s shelving, consideration is now being given to how to handle ‘The Flash’, and according to a new story in The Hollywood Reporter, scrapping the project is not entirely off the table, though is being seen as the unlikely nuclear route.
Instead, various options are apparently being considered, specifically around Miller’s involvement going forward. They were involved in filming additional footage (fairly standard for superhero tentpoles) this summer, which points to Warner Bros. Discovery and DC looking to keep the movie on track.
Ezra Miller is scheduled to appear in ‘The Flash’ on June 23, 2023.
There is talk that Miller could seek professional help for their issues once they return home, and then give a tell-all interview which would then lead to them being the focus of the ‘Flash’ press tour to help adjust the narrative.
Option two focuses on the actor being unwilling to play that PR game, then being largely absent from the press interviews and the studio looking to distance itself from them, with the character re-cast in future movies.
And, as mentioned, the extremely improbable (but still not impossible) option of cancelling the movie’s release entirely.
WBD and DC have a lot of money sunk into the movie already (more than double that of something at ‘Batgirl’s level), so that probably doesn’t make sense.
More likely is the studio as a whole moving away from Miller and handing over their roles in two big franchises – the DC Extended Universe and (assuming those movies go forward) the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ Wizarding World – to other actors.
Fans have been suggesting that Grant Gustin, who has played Barry Allen on CW show ‘The Flash’ since 2014, could be brought in to replace Miller thanks to the handy multiverse concept. But we highly doubt that the studio would give into such pressure.
“Having recently gone through a time of intense crisis, I now understand that I am suffering complex mental health issues and have begun ongoing treatment,” Miller says in a statement. “I want to apologize to everyone that I have alarmed and upset with my past behavior. I am committed to doing the necessary work to get back to a healthy, safe and productive stage in my life.”
It remains to be seen whether this first step will lead to them still being part of the press tour or, indeed, the DCEU going forward.
‘The Flash’ is currently still scheduled for release on June 23rd next year, so let’s see if that sticks.
Ezra Miller at the Los Angeles premiere of 2017’s ‘Justice League.’
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And of course, Bill Skarsgard returns as Pennywise, the sinister clown who terrorizes the town of Derry.
And with the younger versions also returning, it seems the movie needs all the time it can get to tell its story.
“At the beginning, when you’re writing and building the beats of the story, everything that you put in there seems very essential to the story. However, when you have the movie finally edited and it’s four hours long, you realize that some of the events and some of the beats can be easily lifted but the essence of the story remains intact,” Muschietti explained.
“You cannot deliver a four-hour movie because people will start to feel uncomfortable – no matter what they see – but we ended up having a movie that is 2 hours and 45 minutes, and the pacing is very good.”
The long runtime isn’t likely to deter moviegoers. “Avengers: Endgame” ran for three hours and became the No. 1 grossing movie in history. And “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” which clocks in at two hours and 45 minutes, just became Quentin Tarantino’s best-opening film.
Cue all the “When to take a pee break during ‘It: Chapter Two’” articles.
Despite those significant creative shifts, titular star Ezra Miller remains attached to this new version. Miller has been a staunch protector of “The Flash,” fighting to keep the flick in development by working on a new version of the script himself, alongside comics veteran Grant Morrison. While his desired darker direction for the character was ultimately rejected by Warner Bros., they still want to keep him on board, according to THR.
The trade reports that deals have not yet been finalized, but Muschietti’s success with fellow Warner Bros. series “It” suggests that he may be the right fit for this feature. “Flash” fans should keep their fingers crossed.
The post came via Instagram Monday as Muschietti wished McAvoy a belated happy birthday. In this case, better late than never is true. The director kindly acknowledged the “great [James McAvoy] who will thrust his f-f-fists against anything that moves” come the film’s opening day.
The photo doesn’t tell us a lot, but adult Bill looks somewhat troubled. That’s not surprising considering that the new story involves the return of Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård). It picks up 27 years after the events of the first film and brings the adult versions of The Losers’ Club members back to Derry.
McAvoy is one of the seven actors who joined the sequel to play adult Losers. His character was previously played by Jaeden Lieberher.
